Sri Lanka Cricket / Ed Hawkins / 24 September 2007 /

The Racing Post's Ed Hawkins tells us why the omens are not good for England's One-Day side in the upcoming Series in Sri Lanka

THOSE who grew up in the 1980s will have fond memories of the decade which gave us Roland Rat, ET, Clive Sinclair's CV5 and, most nostalgic of all, England's last one-day victory in Sri Lanka.

Indeed, wipe those misty eyes as you think back to Botham, Gooch, Gower, Willis and, er, Allott proving too strong for Warnapura and co on a glorious day at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in February 1982.

Unfortunately England lost the next match to draw the series and it is a habit they have been unable to get out of in Sri Lanka, losing the next six to give them a record in the country of played eight, won one, lost seven.

So it is hardly surprising to see long odds available about Paul Collingwood's team triumphing there when they begin a five-match one-day series next Monday.

England are available to back at 2.86 with Sri Lanka as skinny as 1.4, although it must be said that with most still breathless from the World Twenty20, it is a burgeoning market with much liquidity to come.

Not that the flow will do much to halt a nosedive of Sri Lanka's price.

It is difficult to remember a series when England have been more up against it in terms of history and form.

For a start no England just do not win one-day series on the sub-continent. As mentioned they have never won in Sri Lanka while their last victories in India and Pakistan came in 1985 and 1987 respectively. Or to put it another way, so long ago that we were all still fascinated by the Rubik's Cube.

It gets worse. England have lost seven of their last ten matches against Sri Lanka in all conditions while closer inspection of their recent performances on the island suggest they are no closer to coming to terms with the vagaries of dry, dusty pitches and spinners turning it square.

They have been absolutely hammered in their last five matches, each time the humiliation getting worse. In 2001 they lost by five wickets, 66 runs and ten wickets. Then in 2003 they were beaten by ten wickets again as they were bowled out for just 83.

Arguably Sri Lanka are a better outfit now, which only adds to the feeling that England, who showed in the World Twenty20 that they remain a limited outfit in the shorter stuff, are on a hiding to nothing.

In that competition England's old failing of playing spin bowling came to the fore as they struggled to score off the twirlers.

This is probably the main reason why England have done so poorly on the sub-continent historically. Sri Lanka probably know it, too which is why they will attack with an army of spinners.

If there is a chink of light for England it is that Sri Lanka's main weapon, spin king Muttiah Muralitharan, is struggling to be fit for the series.

He has an injury to a bicep sustained while playing for Lancashire in the County Championship and although he has been named in Sri Lanka's squad, the noises coming from the home camp are not positive.

Without Murali against England Sri Lanka have lost six from ten while against all opposition they really struggle. In 89 completed matches without their star man they have been on the receiving end of 53 defeats with only 36 victories.

So there is a little hope for England and they would do well themselves to cast their minds back to that golden decade which began 27 years ago. Back then the Rocky movies were raking in the loot; stories about a plucky sort who, against all the odds, defeated a superier foe. And had Betfair been around then, he would have been a lot bigger than 2.86.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: